Tim Gray, whose son James is in year 11 at The Academy, said families were devastated by the news the alternative school would shut its Essendon, Wangaratta and Geelong campuses at the end of the year. Some students had moved interstate to attend.
Harry Bryant (left) and James Gray are part of Alex Rance’s football-focused school, The Academy, which will close this year. Wayne Taylor
“There’s a really unhappy group of families. There are some kids who have relocated, either by organising a private rental or boarding to be close to the schools, so that displays the commitment from the families and the kids,” Gray said.
told families last week that COVID lockdowns, the state’s teacher shortage and the school’s inability to “scale up” had prompted the decision to shut down the program at the end of 2023.
“The future of the program wasn’t feasible if we weren’t able to scale it on a large scale and further invest significant time, energy and finance to make this program. So, that’s brought us to this point now where 2023 will be the final year of The Academy program,” he told families.
Rance told The Age said it was heartbreaking the program had to end. “It means more to me that the families are emotional about it closing down because that means the program made a big difference, and I wish we had the resources and partnerships to continue the program,” he said.
Alex Rance, former Richmond footballer and founder of The Academy, which will shut down this year. Supplied
Rance said and made the program unsustainable. Galen Catholic College in Wangaratta or Essendon Keilor College in Melbourne, which have similar sporting programs, have agreed to accept The Academy students next year.
The closure does not affect current year 12 students. The school had about 90 students, across years 11 and 12, this year.
Gray said The Academy, which charges about $7000 for a year 11 student, delivered an alternative to traditional schooling that was tied to a student’s passion for AFL. School days were a mix of school work and football training, and teachers would incorporate real-life football examples in subjects such as maths.
“The concept is a brilliant one, so we signed up James for that,” he said.
Alex Rance and business partners Luke Surace and Casey Helman in 2016. Justin McManus
Gray said he noticed a few months ago that communication from the school had dropped off and teachers had left and not been replaced.
He said finding another school that provides the same high-performance football training was difficult. “Some of those boys are now talking about not returning to school next year.”
. It aimed to help young players get onto AFL clubs’ playing lists and help them pursue careers in football.
The Age reported in 2016 that Academy students would graduate with a Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), with classes capped at 25 students.
Alex Rance playing for Richmond in 2018. Wayne Ludbey
But this year, , a new two-year program that gives students work-related skills and prepares them for further education and training.
Year 12 students at The Academy this year will graduate with the Vocational Major, as well as a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation from The Academy. But the VCE changes put added pressure on the school.
At a meeting with parents last week, Rance said he had wanted to disrupt the education space and create something that supported individuals to use their passion.
“However, the flow-on effects that I mentioned earlier – about COVID and teacher shortages and governmental changes in education [changes to VCE] – have put pressure on this program,” he said.
“So, this has made scaling this program a real problem. And that was going to be the key to our success.”
A Victorian government spokesperson said: “GOTAFE will continue to support the wellbeing and educational future of the students affected and will continue to explore options so students can continue their studies.”
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